Air blown rolling ball game



June 12, 1962 J. STEWART ETAL AIR BLOWN ROLLING BALL GAME Filed Dec. 28, 1960 INVENTORS JOHN W. STEWART JOSEPH A. COTTEN v FIG. 5.

ATTORNEY United States Patent Ill.

Filed Dec. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 78,966 Claims. (Cl. 273-119) This invention relates to an air blown rolling ball game.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an air blown rolling ball game that will be operated from opposing blow tubes, which are respectively controlled by players facing one another that direct by the use of the blow tubes streams of air upon a light weight ball to move it along a trough from an intermediate starting point toward goal lines at the opposite ends of the trough.

It is another object of the invention to provide in an air blown rolling ball game in which the blow tubes can be manipulated to direct air not only against the ball at the center starting point and along its route but at a remote point adjacent the opposer once the ball has been blown from the starting point toward the opposer in order to make the final thrust of the ball and send it home into the goal end of the trough.

It is still another object of the invention to provide in an air blown rolling ball game including a trough in which the ball rolls, air blow tubes which can be rocked between up and down positions on the ends of the trough and in which upon the blow tube being pivoted to one position will be connected to an extension tube for directing air to a more remote point from the player and to drive the ball home and whereby the delivery of the air will be confined to a vertical plane.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rolling ball game apparatus including a trough and air blow tubes in which the trough may be collapsed upon itself and in which the tubes are detachably connected to the trough ends whereby the game apparatus can be made to consume little space and thereby adapted for storage.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a rolling ball game apparatus of the blow tube type which is of simple construction, easy to manipulate, has a minimum number of parts, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to set up, easily collapsed, consumes little space while being stored, light in weight, of pleasing appearance, durable, effective and eflicient in use.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the air blown rolling ball game apparatus set up for use,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal view of the game apparatus with one side broken away to show the bottom of the trough and the extension blow tubes therein,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the air blown rolling ball game apparatus,

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the rolling ball game apparatus as viewed on line 44 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational View of the rolling ball game apparatus folded upon itself from its center hinge for the purpose of being stored.

Referring now to the FIGURES and 11 represent trough parts along which when extended, a light weight ball 12 can be rolled. The ball 12 is sufficiently large so as to engage only the upper edges of the sides of the trough so that little friction is offered to the ball upon the same being rolled along the trough. The inner ends of the trough parts 10 and 11 respectively have depending hinge extensions 13 and 14. They are joined together by a hinge pin 15. The free and outer ends of the trough respectively have leg supports 16 and 17, the former being more removed from the hinge pin 15 than the latter so that upon the trough being collapsed in the manner shown in FIG. 5 the leg support 17 of the trough part 1-1 will outwardly overlie the leg support 16.

The joined center ends of the trough parts are regarded as the starting line for the light weight ball 12 and the object of the game is to move the ball 12 fromthis starting line 18 toward the opposers end of the trough and into either one of a set of cut away goal recesses 19 or 20 equidistance from the starting line 18. The ball being light in weight and preferably made of plastic is easily moved along the side edges of the trough by blowing action effected either from a mouth piece 21 connected to a tube 22 at one end or by a hand bulb 23 and a tube 24 at the other end. The apparatus may have two mouth tubes 22 or two bulb operated tubes 24 instead of the mouth piece tube at one end and the hand bulb tube at the other end as shown. The mouth piece 22 is formed of plastic with reverse curves and is carried on a rocker 25 that is detachably connected between upstanding supports 26 and 27 on the trough sides. The mouth tube 22 can be pivoted up and down to alter the direction of blast of the air in a vertical longitudinal plane and toward the ball 12. The air outlet end of the tube 22 is cut on a bias as indicated at 28 so as to engage an oppositely biased cut tube 30' of a tube extension 29 fixed to and running along the bottom of the trough part 10 and into the trough part 11 in order that air can be supplied at a remote point as when the ball is in the position shown in FIG. 1 to drive the ball in the direction of the arrow home, into the goal trough recesses 20 and over the outlet end of the plastic hand bulb tube 214. When the mouthpiece tube 22 is pivoted to the phantom line position shown in FIG. 2 so that its bias cut end 24 engages bias cut end 30 of the tube extension #29, the air blown into the mouth piece 21 is delivered from an upwardly directed outlet end 31 of the tube extension 29. This tube 29 is bent inwardly laterally at its ends to align the ends with the longitudinal center of the trough.

The bulb tube 24 has reverse curve bends and the air is directed therethrou-gh by squeezing the bulb 23. The tube intermediate its length is fixed to a rock shaft 32 that is releasably connected to upstanding opposing projections 33 and 34 on the free end of the trough part 11. The tube 24 can be worked up and down and has its end 35 cut on a bias to engage bias cut end 36 of a tube 37 fixed to the bottom of the trough part 11 and extending over the trough part 10. With the tube 24 in the position shown in FIG. 2 in engagement with the bias cut end 36 of the tube 37 and with the tube 37 having an upwardly directed end 38, air is directed from the hand bulb 23 toward the ball 12 to finally thrust it toward the goal recesses 19 at the mouth tube end of the trough parts.

In the playing of the game, the ball is located at the starting line 18 and the air from the tubes when properly directed will cause the ball 12 to roll along the side edges of the trough end in one direction or the other which ever force is greater, and when the ball has been moved in one direction or the other beyond either of the ends 31 or 38 of the tube 29 and 37, the air is played upon the ball closer to the respective goal recesses 20 and 19 to finally drive the ball home. All of this time the opposer is playing a counterforce on the ball to prevent suflicient movement toward the goal. Quickness, alertness, and skill will be finally developed in the playing of this game. One player through the use of the mouth piece 21. can match his skill with the player using the hand bulb 23.

The rock shafts 25 and 32, with the tubes 22 and 24, when the apparatus is to be collapsed for the purpose of being stored can be removed from the upstanding pr0- jections 26, 27 and 33, 34 and kept separately from the trough. The trough parts 10 and 11 can be then hinged apart and upon being used extended as shown in FIG. 5

so that the leg supports 16 and 17 overlie one another. The bottom tube extensions 29 and 37 will extend outwardly from the hinged ends of the trough parts 10 and 11 as they are respectively fastened thereto. Upon setting up the apparatus the trough parts 10 and 11 are simply hinged outwardly from one another and rested upon the horizontal surface. The blow tubes 22 and 24 are then attached to their supporting projections and the trough made ready for use and upon the ball being placed on the starting line 18 the game is made ready to be played.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An air blown rolling ball game apparatus comprising an elongated trough having side edges, 21 ball disposed between the side edges of the trough and adapted to be rolled thereover, blow tubes respectively connected to the opposite ends of the trough for pivotal up and down vertical movement to direct air when operated by the players against the ball to urge the same toward the respective opposite goal ends of the trough and means in the bottom of the trough to connect with the blow tubes to direct the air into the trough at a distance further along toward the opposite goal end of the trough when the blow tubes are in operative positions with said means.

2. An air blown rolling ball game apparatus comprising an elongated trough having side edges, a ball disposed between the side edges of the trough and adapted to be rolled thereover, blow tubes respectively connected to the opposite ends of the trough for pivotal up and down vertical movement to direct air when operated by the players against the ball to urge the same toward the respective opposite goal ends of the trough, and extension tubes lying on the bottom of the trough and adapted to be respectively matched at one of their ends with the blow tubes to deliver air to the ball at locations removed from the blow tubes and move the ball more aptly toward the goal ends of the trough.

3. An air blown rolling ball game apparatus as defined in claim 2, and goal recesses in the opposite ends of the trough and underlying the blow tubes and into which the ball must be thrust for the player to. make his score.

4. An air blown rolling ball game apparatus comprising an elongated trough having side edges, a ball disposed between the side edges of the trough and adapted to be rolled thereover, blow tubes respectively connected to the opposite ends of the trough for pivotal up and down vertical movement to direct air when operated by the players against the ball to urge the same toward the respective opposite goal ends of the trough, and extension tubes lying on the bottom of the trough and adapted to be respectively matched at one of their ends with the blow tubes to deliver air to the ball at locations removed from the blow tubes and move the ball more aptly toward the goal ends of the trough, supporting projections extending respectively upwardly from the opposite ends of the trough, rocker shaft members detachably connected between the upstanding projections and said blow tubes respectively carried by the rocker shaft members.

5. An air blown rolling ball game apparatus as defined in claim 4, and said trough being formed of trough parts hinged together intermediate the length of the trough, leg supports carried by the free ends of the trough parts, and of different distances from the hinge center so as to permit the leg supports to overlie one another upon the trough parts being collapsed upon themselves.

France Dec. 20, 1923 France Sept. 26, 1949 

